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The Difference Engine

(Gollancz SF S.)

By William Gibson, Bruce Sterling

(62)

| Paperback | 9780575600294

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Book Description

The computer age has arrived a century ahead of time with Charles Babbage's perfection of his Analytical Engine. The Industrial Revolution, supercharged by the development of steam-driven cybernetic Engines, is in full and drastic swing. Great Britain, with her calculating-cannons, steam dreamnoughtContinue

Critics

Steampunk Week – Book Review: The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling

The Difference Engine seems to be universally praised as one of the core Steampunk titles and it makes pretty much every single list I came across whilst reading about the genre in preparation for this week. Since this is hailed as required reading f ... (read full critics)

thebooksmugglers published on Tue, 14 Sep 2010

Voyage to Uchronia

In February 1812, Byron stood up to speak for the first time in the House of Lords. His speech was a passionate defence of the Nottingham weavers – followers of the mythical King Ludd – who had been smashing the new mechanical stocking-frames; and fo ... (read full critics)

lrb published on Sun, 5 Sep 2010

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3 Reviews

1 person find this helpful

Interesting but sometimes hard to grasp alternative view of the coming of the computer age

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Pia said on Sep 27, 2007 | Add your feedback

I have mixed feelings about this novel now that I've finished it.
I am given to know that some people consider the beginning slow, while the story gains pace after the first part, but my experience is quite the opposite. I loved the beginning, but especially in the final phase the narration graduall ... (continue)

I have mixed feelings about this novel now that I've finished it.
I am given to know that some people consider the beginning slow, while the story gains pace after the first part, but my experience is quite the opposite. I loved the beginning, but especially in the final phase the narration gradually plunges into boredom. The narration is not uneventful. I did not feel like the writers had the usual need of filling pages to sell. It is the choice of words, phrasing and narration that simply loses the initial spark, and that is too bad.
I would recommend this book mainly for the historical value of having been the first steampunk novel, but little more than that.

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Tazio Bettin said on Sep 7, 2010 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

Awesome

One of the best-written and most thought-provoking novels by cyberpunk godfathers Sterling and Gibson

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John Christian Falkenberg said on Sep 10, 2007 | Add your feedback